Final Fantasy XIII sequel becomes official

Square Enix has just confirmed that it will be releasing a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, about one year from now, in winter 2012.

That will put it about three years from the launch of the original Final Fantasy XIII, which Square had at the time said might be its last "traditional" RPG.

And just because this is a sequel doesn't mean that statement won't still stand. In an official PlayStation Blog post, Square Enix says it has "evolved" its battle system from Final Fantasy XIII but doesn't say too much more about the gameplay mechanics.

The sequel is not to be confused with Final Fantasy XIV, which is due out later this year for the PS3 and is already released on the PC. That is an massively online multiplayer RPG that has very little to do with Final Fantasy XIII.

Square Enix did something similar with Final Fantasy X. The game was so popular that it created a sequel and titled it Final Fantasy X-2. The Final Fantasy "numbered" series are not connected to each other in any way, other than the fact that they share the same terminology and the occasional dialogue reference. However, each number in the Final Fantasy legacy stands as its own game. They are not really sequels of one another.

This news comes as players are still waiting to hear news of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which was announced alongside Final Fantasy XIII but remains shrouded in mystery as the game has still not been released and only a scant few details have been revealed.

So, in other words, Square Enix is just one confusing little publisher. But know this - if you liked Final Fantasy XIII, a sequel is on the way. That is all.